More than Moments
by Taisi
Summary: Human AU. Arthur wants Alfred, who's never experienced romance the way Arthur believes he deserves- or at all. UK/US


A/N: Inspired by an RP between me and a friend. xD Sorta...bad. Uhh. Sappy, maybe? Nothing _too _graphic. No secks, srry gaiz. D:

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><p>Arthur was tired of watching, tired of waiting, and when he saw the golden opportunity in Alfred staying after class that Friday evening, as the rest of the students in his class milled out into the hall, he leaped for it.<p>

Alfred glanced up when the door opened again, and blinked when he saw who it was. "Hey, Artie. Need something?"

The nickname was ridiculous and Arthur hit anyone who used it, and everyone knew it so no one did. Alfred didn't know, and Arthur wouldn't hit him, so he would rant and sulk about it instead, because Alfred would only laugh and call him 'Artie' when he said goodbye, and Arthur didn't really want him to stop.

"I do," he said honestly, dropping his bag in front of the door and crossing the room to where Alfred was standing by the window. Alfred tilted his head curiously, looking so cute and it was amazing how oblivious he was to the fact.

"Uh, okay. Everyone else is gone, yanno."

"I know." Arthur could feel his straining patience slip away bit by bit, and he held himself in check. Just the way Alfred moved made his mouth water. "I want you."

The tilt to Alfred's head only grew more pronounced, the curiosity in his eyes brighter as the meaning the words might have taken with anyone else flew over his head completely. He didn't even hesitate to consider what else Arthur could have meant- didn't stop to think something like that might apply to him.

Arthur moved forward.

"Alright, well, what can I do you for?" Alfred watched him get an arm's length away without batting an eyelash, safe and secure in his romantic isolation. "How come you waited till after school anyway? You- "

Arthur kissed him.

The reaction was instantaneous and Alfred pulled away, face a bright red as he backed up against the wall and covered his mouth with his hand, finally understanding. Arthur's eyes fluttered closed in nothing less than triumph.

_Yes._

Alfred wasn't who disillusioned people made him out to be. He was simple, straightforward, a bright and shining creature taking unhesitant, unguarded steps in a dangerous world, still pure, still untouched, and by now convinced he could do without the intimacy denied him this long. And now Arthur was sure of this, because a simple kiss shouldn't have made anyone often on the recieving end of kisses react like that.

He could barely contain himself as he stepped forward, hands moving to rest on the wall on both sides of Alfred's face, reducing the younger boy's chance of escape monumentally. Alfred stood staring at him, flushed and caught and incredulous and trembling- and it was the first and last of these that caught Arthur's attention above the rest. He raised one hand to stroke Alfred's cheek, and watched the color deepen, the trembling increase and those eyes flutter shut then open again, breath held in something close to panic.

"What's wrong?" he whispered, knowing but wanting Alfred's reaction. No doubt it would be heartbreaking.

Alfred opened his mouth quickly, presumably to snap something that sounded like himself, but his voice failed him and he only stood there for another moment, before looking away and hugging himself, shaking and scowling and waiting for Arthur to be finished with whatever he was on about and leave.

But Arthur had no intention of doing that whatsoever. He moved his hand from Alfred's cheek to his chin, turning his face back slowly. "Not quite an answer, love." He kept his voice barely above a whisper, let his words breathe out across Alfred's skin like a caress.

He half-expected the quiet sob that followed, though it still wrenched at his heart.

"N-nothing, you weirdo, I'm fine." He didn't want to touch him, but he wanted to pull free. It was plain from the way he hesitated to move, knowing that any action would bring the two of them closer, and it made Arthur want to kiss him again.

So he did, pressing their lips together for all of three glorious seconds, before he pulled away, just enough to look into endlessly blue eyes and see the confusion and uncertainty there for himself.

"What are you doing?" Alfred was desperate now; he was tugging away from Arthur's hands, but as strong as he was, Arthur, for the moment at least, had the upper hand. He planted himself more firmly and worked his knee between Alfred's legs. The latter froze almost comically, but nothing could be funny when that blue of his eyes was so stricken and scared. "L... let me go."

Arthur didn't answer, and untucked Alfred's shirt instead. Alfred's breathing hitched, but he forced himself to ignore it as he set to unbuttoning, the younger boy too afraid of touching his hands to stop him.

"P- please, Arthur, d-don't."

That stopped him. "Why? _Why, _Alfred? You're beautiful. You deserve to be touched and loved and kissed as much as anyone else does." His determination was solidified by the helpless shaking of Alfred's head. He threw the shirt to the side and moved Alfred's arms away when they rose immediately to hug himself. Running his hands up the fit chest and past the pert nipples, he glanced at Alfred again, who didn't appear to be breathing.

"You're beautiful."

Alfred's eyes were closed. "You're lying."

"The hell I am." He leaned in, and kissed him on the side of the neck, just below the ear, savoring Alfred's startled kitten-like cry, and latched his lips around the spot, sucking. At the same time he raised his knee a little higher until it was inbetween Alfred's thighs; the kitten noise made a second appearance, and Alfred fisted his hands in Arthur's sleeves, begging him breathlessly to stop.

"I won't," Arthur said firmly.

"_Why not?"_

"Because you're beautiful," he said, his voice _right there _at his ear so he could speak softly. "You're beautiful and kind and more deserving than I thought before. You've never had someone treat you this way because you've never been intimate because you've been afraid to let someone close enough to be as sweet to you as you deserve." Alfred was shaking his head, but more on principle it seemed than anything else, because his eyes were wide and filled with tears as Arthur hit the nail on the head. "They flirt with you and look up to you and love you, but not in the way you need. You're a bright and shining thing, Alfred, but you need someone to fall back on." He kissed the corner of Alfred's mouth. "Someone who can be your hero back."

"B...but..."

"I know it's scary, darling, but you need to try." Arthur cupped his face in both hands, his forehead coming to rest on Alfred's gently. "You have to try to trust me. You're strong, Alfred, and falling won't break you." He closed his eyes, so desperately in love with the boy in his arms and with so many good reasons to be that it was hard to think of the right words. "But I want to be there to hold you. I want to be there holding you so falling isn't even an option. I want to be touching you all the time, I want you to be _mine _and I want to be yours, I want those stupid ignorant people to stop gawking at you like something you're not and to see you for what you are- I want you, so badly I feel like I can't breathe."

Less eloquent than he had prepared, and Arthur could have kicked himself for it, because he _couldn't _ruin this. But Alfred wasn't a hopeless romantic; he was a scared kid looking love in the eyes for the first time, and Arthur might have done the best thing for it by letting his mouth run away and showing his own insecurities to a boy so used to being strong for someone else.

Alfred's hand drifted to Arthur's face and brushed softly beneath his eye, as though wiping away an imaginary tear. It made Arthur catch his breath, and he opened his eyes to look into the most perfect blue.

"Alfred," he said quietly, pressed against him. "I love you."

And remarkably, the other boy nodded. Arthur moved in closer and kissed him again, this time slipping his tongue in past Alfred's lips. He stiffened in surprise, and Arthur felt him start to shake again, but he didn't fight him and Arthur took that as a good sign.

When Alfred kissed back, hesitant and curious, the world was flooded with color and Arthur felt himself go weak. Alfred's arms came up to support him, because Alfred adapted so quickly when he was needed, and Arthur leaned into him gratefully, daring to hope.

"You know," Alfred said against his mouth, face the most beautiful shade of red Arthur had ever seen, lips quirked into a smile that was shy and lovely and everything Arthur had ever dared to dream for, "I...I never thought anything like this would ever a-actually happen."

Arthur kissed his forehead, overwhelmed by love. "I know."

Even now, Alfred's hands were shaking as they guided Arthur's face until their eyes met. Even now he hesitated, because years of neglect couldn't be made up for in a few brief moments of care.

_But we'll have more than moments, _Arthur thought dazedly as those fingers explored his face gently, and his expression when it was open and careless like that was what won him another smile and a harbored truth.

"I... I never thought it'd be y-you, Artie." Alfred brushed the hair back from his face, and the trembling in his hands had almost gone away completely. "But, I, um... I sorta hoped."

Arthur surged forward to kiss him and this time Alfred met him with a ready mouth and a shaky laugh; his blue eyes before they slid closed were determined and wildly optimistic and Arthur's heart swelled.

_We'll have years and years._


End file.
